Beyaz is a popular birth control pill containing a new synthetic hormone called drospirenone. In April 2012, the FDA announced that drospirenone was associated with a higher risk of blood clots.
Overview
Beyaz is a popular birth control pill, and it is essentially the same as Yaz plus a folic acid dietary supplement. Beyaz is a combination hormonal birth control pill, containing synthetic progestin (3-mg of drospirenone) and synthetic estrogen (0.02-mg of ethinyl estradiol). Beyaz also contains 0.451-mg of levomefolate calcium, a folate B-vitamin. Beyaz is sold by the pharmaceutical company Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010.
Why does Beyaz contain Folate?
Beyaz contains folate to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects (spina bifida, anencephaly, and more) when women accidentally get pregnant while taking Beyaz.
Though it is very rare, sometimes women do get pregnant while they are taking birth control pills. When taken as directed, Beyaz is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. This means that fewer than one woman out of 100 will become pregnant while using Beyaz as a primary form of birth control. The risk of getting pregnant increases for women who do not use Beyaz exactly as directed (taking the pill at the same time every day).
Neural tube defects are severe birth defects that occur during the first few weeks of fetal development. They occur when the neural tube fails to close around the spinal cord, causing severely debilitating or life-threatening birth defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly. Researchers know that most of these birth defects are caused by a folic acid vitamin deficiency, which is why many foods nowadays are fortified with folate. Even so, the FDA recommends that all women of childbearing age take a folate dietary supplement, because it is essential that folate levels are normal before a pregnancy begins.
Beyaz Blood Clots
Beyaz blood clots are linked to the ingredient drospirenone, a “fourth generation” version of the synthetic female reproductive hormone progestin. All women who use a contraceptive containing progestin have an increased risk of blood clots. With drospirenone, however, the risk of blood clots may be 75% higher than for other birth control pills. Drospirenone is associated with a higher risk of blood clots, but it is equally effective at preventing pregnancy compared to other birth control pills.
A blood clot is a life-threatening Beyaz side effect. At least 50 women have died from blood clot side effects after taking a birth control pill containing drospirenone. Women taking Beyaz have a higher risk of developing deep-vein blood clots, which the body cannot filter out of the bloodstream before they reach a major internal organ (such as the heart, brain, or lungs). If the blood clot stops the supply of blood to organ tissue, this tissue can quickly become oxygen-starved and it will begin to die. Beyaz blood clots can cause irreversible organ damage, organ failure, lifelong disabilities, and death.
Symptoms of a Beyaz Blood Clot
Any time you suspect that you have a blood clot, this is an emergency situation and you should call 911 and seek immediate care. The problem with Beyaz blood clots is that they often have no symptoms, because they form deep inside the body. They only cause symptoms when they begin causing a severe side effect, such as a pulmonary embolism, heart attack, or stroke.
If a Beyaz blood clot does show symptoms, they typically include:
- Swelling in the affected area
- Change in skin color, whiteness or redness
- Pain in the affected area
- Unusual warmth
- Weakness in one part of the body
- Loss of sensation
- Paralysis of one part of the body, loss of function, tingling, numbness
Beyaz Side Effects
- Depression
- Blood clots
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
- Pulmonary embolism
- Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- Stroke
- Gallbladder disease
- Pancreatitis
- Hyperkalemia (toxic high levels of potassium)
- Irregular heartbeat (heart arrhythmia)
- Death
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